As perhaps best evidenced by its upcoming rights deal with Netflix, WWE is quietly one of the more forward-thinking sports media properties out there.
But when it comes to the idea of integrating sports betting with scripted matches, the pro wrestling giant has determined that to be a bridge too far.
On Thursday, TKO chief operating officer Mark Shapiro joined CNBC’s Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation regarding the latest happenings at the company formed by the merger between UFC and WWE. And when Sherman brought up his previous report from May that WWE was in talks with state regulators regarding the legalization of betting on pro wrestling matches, Shapiro quickly shot the idea down.
“It’s not happening,” Shapiro said. “We’re not doing that. We’re scripted. Years ago, I ran Dick Clark Productions. We had enough of a challenge keeping the American Music Awards and the Golden Globe Award winners under wraps with an auditor that was there. We’re not going to be asking Triple H/Paul Levesque, who runs our creative, to keep his scripts so under wraps that we can start sports betting. It just doesn’t jive.”
Although it doesn’t appear that WWE will be available to bet on via DraftKings or FanDuel anytime soon, offshore betting sites have been offering wagers on pro wrestling matches and props for years now. And to Shapiro’s point, it’s easy to see how doing so could prove problematic for both WWE and sportsbooks alike, with many lines shifting dramatically on days of shows as wrestlers and employees become aware of the planned results.
While WWE is seemingly always looking for alternative revenue streams — and to make its presentation more sports-like — the reality is that participating in legalized sports betting simply isn’t a fit for the most obvious of reasons. You can’t fault the company for exploring it, even if in the end, it turned out that there are some ideas that are too ridiculous in the wild world of professional wrestling.
[CNBC]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.